A family of tourists visiting Kruger National Park in South Africa gave a very tough (and very adorable) baby elephant an ‘A for Effort’ when the little one attempted to charge, only to take a tumble instead.
ABC News shared a video of the family’s encounter, and it’s making everybody’s day. The tiny but fierce little guy runs at the vehicle the family was in, but trips over his own two (four?) feet! He quickly recovers but doesn’t seem to be as interested in showing them who’s boss.
@abcnews A FOR EFFORT: A very tough (and very adorable) baby elephant attempted to charge a family of tourists visiting Kruger National Park in South Africa, only to take a tumble. #elephant #animals #news #abcnews
My heart, this was the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time! He was trying to be so big and brave! ABC News’ video quickly went viral and has been viewed more than 5 million times, and viewers have left thousands of comments. One viewer garnered 57,000 likes when they joked, “Nah, bro is trying the insurance fraud…”
@Briana got 50 thousand likes for her comment, “He got embarrassed!!!” @jon.vane agreed, sharing what the baby elephant was probably thinking, “Let’s pretend you didn’t see that.” We chuckled when @pacmanfrog shared, “You’re so lucky I fell dude! You have NO idea dude” LOL!”
And we laughed when @NikkieRogers added, “The way the momma pushed back the other baby… ‘Don’t even try it, Bryan.’ LOL!”
Related: Baby Elephant With Big Attitude Can’t Resist Showing Everybody Who’s Boss
Angry Elephant Warning Signs
While mom and the other elephants didn’t seem to have an issue with the tourists stopping to check them out, this little guy was not happy about it…or was just practicing his big boy skills. Safarikzn.com explains that when elephants hold their ears out longer than a flap (which is something they do to regulate their body temperature), they are showing you how big they are and warning you of their size. It would be hard to be afraid of this cute little elephant, but not mom right behind him!
There are other signs of anger as well. When annoyed, elephants rock on one foot, which may appear as if they’re kicking up dust. It’s normal for elephants to shake their heads a time or two, but if they continually shake their heads, it is another warning sign, as is holding their tail out stiffly. Trumpeting could also be a sign that they’re getting mad about something.
If you find yourself in front of an angry elephant, pay attention. Sometimes they mock charge as a warning, in which case you should remain calm and give them more space. If an elephant really charges, run! Run in a zig-zag pattern and try to find something to put in between you and the elephant…a rock, tree, or vehicle, for example. If possible, try to climb the tree or rock to get above the elephant. It sounds scary, but you can avoid these kinds of situations altogether by giving them their space and admiring them from a distance.